Reciprocating fuel feeder



July 3l, 1951 F. D. HWE

' RECIPROCATING FUEL FEEDER* 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 14, '1946 v Rop Asn-Maij? A FIG A VENToR.

July 31, 1951 F. D. HowE 2,562,614

I RECPROCATING FUEL FEEDER Filed March 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A A A w v V INVEN TOR.

Patented July 31, 1951 RECIPROCATING FUEL FEEDER Frank D. Howe, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignor to Thermal Development Company,

Falls, Ohio Cuyahoga Application March 14, 1946, Serial No. 654,338

1 Claim.

This invention provides means for feeding fuel from a hopper to a iirebox which means may be operated either by power or by hand. A wide range of fuel sizes may be used.

Fuel in the larger sizes is apt to interlock and block action of the feeding device and to require agitation to free the jammed lumps. Means are provided to break up fuel jams and to insure full capacity action of the fuel feeder by forcing the fuel to follow the feeder as it moves backward.

An oscillating fuel feeder is disclosed having alternate feeding action above and below its axis.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a sectional plan view taken on line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of Fig. l with side wall 23 removed.

Fig. 3 is an elevation with side wall removed showing a modified form of fuel feeder.

In all views, I is the hopper, spaced from rebox wall 2 and having sloping bottoms 3 and 4. The sides, 23 and 2d, of the space housing the feeder mechanism are parallel; above this space the hopper may have any shape desired.

In Figs. l and 2, 5 is the fuel feeder pivoted at its upper edge upon trunnion 6 and supported also by dowel integral with shaft 8 which is cut down to form a key s engaging with slot I6 in feeder 5. Dowel 'l is engaged with axial hole lA,

Fig. 2. Shaft 8 has a groove I I engaged by pin I2 allowing rotational motion while preventing longitudinal motion. Pin I2 may be wired as shown at IZA to prevent working out of place. To shaft 8 is attached a lever I3 which may have a crankpin Ill or may be much longer for hand operation. Pins 22A, engaging bearings in loader and feeder, operatively connect the rods to loader and feeder. Trunnion 6 may be anchored by pin I2, held in place by wire IZA.

A power means, such as electric motor I5 drives a reducing gear I6 of any desired type, which revolves crank arm Ii carrying crankpin I8. Connecting rod I9, transmits power from crankpin I8 to crankpin i4 to oscillate feeder 5 or feeder 36. Loader 2e, a wedge shaped bar, resting on hopper bottom 3, has operative connection with feeder arms 2 I--2I through connecting rods 22--22 which are in sliding contact with side walls 23 and 2li, by which it is reciprocated from full to dotted positions in unison with motions of feeder 5. Pins 22A, engaging bearings in loader and feeder, operatively connect rods, loader and feeder to move in unison.

Top wall 25 and imperforate bottom plate 26 together with side walls 23 and 24 form a duct through which fuel is forced into rebox 21 and grate 28.

In Fig. 3, the description of Figs. 1 and 2 applies except as to the feeder. Parts corresponding to those of Figs. 1 and 2 have the same numbers. The plan view of Fig. l applies also to Fig. 3, except that feeder 30 replaces feeder 5.

Feeder 30 is distinguished from feeder 5 in that its axis is located intermediate the upper and lower edges thus giving a feeding face above as well as below the axis. A sector of a cylinder 32, having its axis coincident with that of the feeder, forms the upper surface of the feeder to prevent access of fuel to the space back of the feeder. The axis may b at any point intermediate the two edges of the feeder depending upon the kind of action desired. The feeding face above the axis assists in breaking up locked conditions in the fuel.

Experience with the type of feeder shown has demonstrated that gravity alone will not make the fuel follow the feeder fully on its backward stroke and that some action is needed to break up locked fuel when using large size fuel. The loader 20 forces fuel directly toward the feeder and the gap opened by the backward motion of the feeder is filled. At the same time, this motion of the loader shifts the fuel in the hopper tending to break up fuel jams and feeder 30, Fig. 3, assists in this function by action of that part above its axis.

I claim:

In a fuel feeding device, a hopper for fuel, a duct below said hopper having an opening from said hopper into said duct, an oscillating fuel feeder within said duct, a fuel loader in said hopper, adapted to force fuel from said hopper through said opening toward said feeder on the backward oscillation of said feeder, said feeder and said loader being spaced apart to allow fuel therebetween, means operatively connecting said feeder and said loader to move forward and back in unison, and means for applying power to said feeder whereby said feeder, said loader and the fuel therebetween move backward upon the back- Number Number Name Date MacPherson Aug. 1, 1922 Close June 12, 1928 Kantor Aug. 27, 1929 Hughes Apr. 1, 1930 Chamberlin Nov. 28, 1933 Roberts May 15, 1934 Greenlaw Nov. 10, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 10, 1911 Great BritainY .July '18, 1929 Germany Nov. 5, 1904 Denmark Sept. 23, 1912 

